The Joys of Young Love
by warrior of the nile
Summary: When Bucky tells Tony he is worried about Winter hurting him if they start dating, Tony doesn't mean to laugh. Really he doesn't. Even he knows that is insensitive. But he can't help it. The two obviously don't talk to each other if Bucky is still concerned. So Tony explains why he doesn't have to be. (Poor Bucky...)


Tony didn't mean to laugh. He really didn't. Bucky had come to him with what, to him, was a serious concern. He was legitimately worried about this. Laughing in his face was not the right response. At all. But Tony can't help it. He finds the idea so hilariously wrong that it just sort of... slips out.

"Buck- Buckaroo," he gasps after a few false starts, "sweetheart, honey buns, I promise you, that is the last thing you need to worry about."

Bucky's frown deepens, clearly upset. "How do you know? He was HYDRA's prize assassin for seventy years. There is so much blood and death to his name. That is what he was created for. How can you know he won't hurt you?"

Tony just shakes his head, still smiling, "So I know the two of you don't get along, but you don't talk _at all_?" he asks, checking just in case.

Bucky scowls. "No," he says peevishly.

"Well then Tastee Freez, let me give you examples of how exactly I know that Snowflake is never going to hurt me."

 _1._

 _The first time it happens Tony is only half aware of what is happening. He has just stumbled out of bed, having gone to sleep last night almost like a normal person. He even managed six whole hours of sleep before his brain woke him up again. So he stumbles into the kitchen in desperate need for coffee._

 _He doesn't even register the other person in the room until he bumps into them. Literally. He blinks and sees Bucky standing in front of him, mug in his hands. Tony grunts and moves past him, intent on his mission. But then, when he reaches for the pot, he notices there isn't any coffee in it._

 _He holds that he can't be held responsible for anything he does or says before he has his morning – or afternoon or supper or midnight, anytime he wakes up really – coffee. Thus he can't help the pitiful whine he gives when he sees this tragedy._

 _Turning he looks at Bucky. Or, more accurately, Bucky's mug. He didn't even know Bucky liked coffee. Does he? Tony can't remember right now, his brain isn't awake enough for that. All he knows is that he needs coffee and Bucky took the last of it._

" _I am making more now Sir," JARVIS reassures him._

 _Tony pouts, crossing his arms, but resigned to the wait. He stares at Bucky blankly as he does. Bucky stares back, slowly raising the mug to his mouth. Tony's eyes are glued to the movement. Coffee. He may or may not have whined again._

 _But then Bucky lowers the mug without taking a sip. Slowly he holds the mug out instead._

 _It takes Tony a minute to realize what this means. When he does, he snatches it up and takes a long drink, moaning. More than one person on the team has told him he sounds like a porno when he does this, but he doesn't care._ Coffee _. Coffee is life._

 _He hums happily as he drinks it. He should have probably asked if Bucky was sure, but hey, all's fair in love and coffee. Besides, everyone knows what he's like with it. He shouldn't have offered if he wasn't serious._

 _By time he drains it, the new pot is ready. He pours and new one and hands it back to Bucky without much thought. But he shakes his head and motions for Tony to keep it._

" _Thanks buttercup," he says and gives him a kiss on the cheek, "you're the best." It's the extra big mug too. Even better. He heads down to the workshop._

 _It's only hours later that he remembers. Bucky_ doesn't _like coffee. But Winter does._

 _2._

 _Tony is working in the shop. He's been working in the shop for the last... Well he doesn't know how many hours. He could ask JARVIS, but he doesn't care that much. And if the answer is too long, JARVIS will take that as a sign to start bothering him about it. He's in the zone, he doesn't want to have him pulling him out of it._

 _He's working on the latest design for stronger armour when a plate appears in front of him. He turns just enough to see Bucky standing next to the table, clearly having delivered it. He would complain that he's not hungry, but as he switches holograms, he sees they're sandwiches. He can do sandwiches. Grabbing one, he takes a bite. Eyes widen as he realizes that these just aren't any sandwiches. They are his favorite, from the deli down the street, cut into smaller pieces._

 _He gives Bucky a bright smile before turning his attention back to his work. Vaguely he is aware that Bucky stands there, completely silent, until he is finished. Then the plate is gone and a thermos of coffee is set in its place. He looks up, but Bucky is gone with the plate._

 _Next time he surfaces, Clint asks grumpily, "Enjoy those sandwiches?"_

" _They were_ delicious _," he informs him happily._

" _Good. Winter about gutted me when I tried to take them," he says, still pouting as he walks away._

 _Winter. Oh._ Oh _._

 _3._

 _The next time it happens, he knows it's Winter. Mainly because Winter has brought him cupcakes. Obviously homemade cupcakes. And everyone knows that for some strange reason, the Winter Soldier has taken up baking as a hobby. Weird, but Tony doesn't question it. It's some amazing baking._

 _There is always a rush to get some after he has finished. And there is usually a fight too. Tony has come out of those with more than one cut and/or bruise. Worth it._

 _But here and now Winter is presenting him with his own plate of cupcakes. No fighting required. Tony beams at him. "Thanks Elsa, you're the best." He kisses him on the cheek._

 _Winter_ blushes _. Honest to god – or Thor, depending – the Winter Soldier actually blushes when Tony gives him a quick peck to the cheek. That's... kind of adorable actually._

 _Tony picks one up and joyfully starts eating it. Amazing. It's_ so _amazing. He even took the time to make the frosting from scratch too._

 _He sees Winter watching him intently and winks._

 _He blushes again, nods and leaves._

 _Yeah, definitely adorable._

 _4._

 _Tony walks into the game room, late for movie night. He is still in his suit, tie loosened, jacket discarded... somewhere and sleeves rolled up. He is exhausted and all he wants to do is sit down. Today has been brutal between the board meeting, an emergency in R &D and a negotiation that took more time than originally planned._

 _He doesn't even care what movie they are going to watch for once. He's most likely going to sleep through it after all._

 _But being late to movie night comes with some disadvantages, such as where to sit. The team is sprawled out everywhere, taking up all the space. He's about to say forget it and go to bed when Bucky, no Winter, that is definitely Winter, spots him._

 _Getting up from the couch he has claimed, he growls to warn anyone else from taking his seat. It's pretty effective actually. Then he stalks over and gently guides Tony over to said couch. He lays down and urges Tony to lay down on top of him._

 _It doesn't take much. Winter wants to cuddle? Fine with him. He flops down, squirming to get comfortable. Winter pulls a blanket down over top of him. Incidentally, it's the softest one they have._

 _Tony closes his eyes and is asleep almost instantly. He thinks he hears giggling and then a threatening growl, but he can't be sure._

 _Winter is comfortable though. He does know that._

 _5._

 _It starts off as any other battle. Just another round of Doom Bots that Reed and his team aren't there to take care of. Tony gets so sick of him – both of them actually. Both Reed and Doom are a pain in his ass._

 _But they seem to have learned some new tricks this time. Or maybe Doom just made them out of better materials. In any case, they are harder to destroy then usual. For some of them anyways. Hulk is still having a grand time. In complete contrast, the Big Guy_ loves _Doom Bots. Lots of smashing_

 _So Tony is cussing his way through the flood of bots. Steve has long given up telling him to be quiet. Especially when the others have joined him. There's no winning after that._

 _He's in the middle of a swarm of them, shooting this way and that way and every way when a bot gets a lucky shot. "Ow," he complains and shoots a missile directly into its face._ That _took care of it. Not that it really hurt. At the most, it's just going to be another bruise. He really hates Doom Bots. Has he mentioned that already?_

 _But obviously someone took him seriously. Soon he has an unexpected partner – Winter. He appears out of nowhere, as he is wont to do, and starts taking care of said swarm with vengeance._

 _Tony's impressed really. Of course he has seen Winter fight before. Many times. But he's never seen him fight as if someone has personally kicked his puppy. Or maybe it's his genius, in this case. Tony knows that he can be oblivious sometimes, but even he has noticed this. It's hard not to, with how frequently it has been happening._

 _First coffee, then food, then cuddles and protectiveness. Yeah, he gets the picture._

 _It's kind of sweet. And kind of hot. Now they just need to work on his conversational skills._

"So you don't have to worry about Winter hurting me if we start dating," Tony finishes.

Bucky is looking at him, eyes wide. "What?" he chokes out.

Tony nods. "Actually," he says thoughtfully, "I'm pretty sure Winter has been dating me for a while now. You might want to run this by him, I hate to start a fight between the two of you."

" _What_?" Bucky asks again.

Tony hums. "Yup. Probably should have realized sooner, but," he shrugs. "He's a great boyfriend though. The two of you really need to talk to each other."

Bucky's head drops against the table and he lets out a sigh of despair.

Tony can't help it. He starts laughing again.


End file.
